The family of a man who died on the floor of his Adams County jail cell in May 2015 has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the county and the medical company contracted to care for inmates.
9Wants to Know first brought you the story about Tyler Tabor last September. Opioid withdrawal led Tabor to become so violently ill he developed dehydration, which was eventually killed the 25-year-old father and husband.
Tabor’s death highlighted a growing problem of heroin and opioid-related dehydration death’s in jails nationwide.
“It’s hard to get up every morning knowing I’m not going to see him again,” said Michele McLean, Tabor’s mother, during a interview with 9Wants to Know last fall. “I am numb still.”
McLean and Tabor’s father Ray had known about Tyler’s addiction. They say it started with an opioid medication prescribed after he was injured on the job. It turned into the 25-year-old turning to heroin to feed his addiction.
PREVIOUS STORY: 2 inmates die of dehydration in Colorado jails
PREVIOUS STORY: Family disagrees with jail death findings
When he called to say he’d been arrested on an outstanding misdemeanor warrant, they told him to sober up in jail -- practicing what they describe as tough love.
“We thought he would be safe,” Tabor’s father said.
The suit filed in court Wednesday claims the jail and the company contracted to provide medical services in the jail, Corizon Health Inc., should have treated Tabor with IV fluids. If they had, the suit claims, Tabor would still be alive.
Adams County Sheriff Michael McIntosh told 9NEWS Thursday he couldn’t comment on pending litigation.
Corizon Health Inc. released the following statement to 9NEWS:
We are first and foremost a healthcare company. Our doctors, nurses and other frontline professionals are deeply affected by the death of a patient in their care, and our hearts go out to Mr. Tabor’s family for their loss. Heroin and opiate addiction is a national crisis facing our country that is destroying lives and families and inundating our criminal justice system. Corizon Health doctors, registered nurses and other clinical providers work consistently day after day to provide reasonable and appropriate care based on standards established by the National Commission on Correctional Healthcare and the circumstances presented to them.
One of the most common misconceptions about our company – and indeed our industry - is that we somehow benefit from providing lower quality care. On the contrary, what makes good medical sense and good business sense is providing preventive care and intervening early to treat conditions before they become more serious and costly to treat. Though we are limited by patient privacy laws and this legal action from discussing the specific circumstances of this case, the health care providers involved have a right to be defended based on the facts and not judged in the media before they have an opportunity to tell an impartial jury what happened. We trust all involved will have that opportunity as we intend to vigorously defend this case.
